Help! Wilton 3D Bear! Tips Please

Been reading over old posts of bear disasters. half batter/half cake mix? I'm in the uk and can't really get whatever mix it is they mention. Found this on the wilton forums that was recommended for 3d cakes:

Put 2 sticks of softened butter in large bowl and add shortening, mix together. Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly. Add sugar and mix well. Add flour a little at a time and mix until well blended, batter will be very thick at this point. Measure out milk in a cup larger than a cup size. Add baking powder, vanilla and flavoring and stir mixture well. Add milk mixture while mixing a little at a time. Batter will be slightly less thick, but still really thick. Grease and flour tube pan well and pour batter into pan spreading it out evenly. If using a cake mold follow instructions included with mold. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. If using cake mold watch for doneness, each mold is a different cooking time. Cool on wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then remove outer side of tube pan. Cool for an additional hour before removing tube section of pan still on wire rack.

As if the cup conversions aren't complicated enough, what on earth is a stick of butter? Anyone have any more tips? to use the core or not to use the core?

When the bear is baked, use the "flip - cool" method...lol...for lack of a better term...

What I mean is that you take the pan off of the back of the bear, and let it cool for about 15 minutes, then put it back on, flip it over, and take the pan off of the front of the bear and let it cool a few minutes. Do this several times. It allows the bear to cool without falling apart. I also froze mine just to make sure that it got really firm...